Create your own solar filter hat for a telescope for less than $12

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With two solar eclipses coming up, you may want to get a closer look at the sun. To view it safely, you need a solar filter.
In this video, we create a homemade solar filter that costs less than $12, using a Solarlite Solar Sheet from Thousand Oaks Optical ($10) and construction paper ($2). You'll also need cardboard, a utility knife, and glue which I assume you have in your house.
Here are links to the solar sheets I mentioned in the video:
If you want to purchase the 4" Thousand Oaks Optical Solar Film, you can buy it from Agena astro here: bit.ly/437xoZw
8" Solarlite sheet: bit.ly/3TzLZeg
10" Solarlite Solar Film: bit.ly/3OkqITP
American Paper Optics Solar Eclipse Glasses: www.eclipseglasses.com/produc...
Stay tuned for my next video where we'll create a hat for a telescope using the above solar filter!
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:46 The equipment you'll need
2:20 It doesn't have to be perfect
3:35 Making the solar filter
6:20 Testing it outside with and without a Barlow
7:19 First look at the images
8:21 Final thoughts
9:15 End
Watch my solar eclipse glasses review: • Review of the BEST Sol...
Learn about the upcoming eclipses: • The Next 3 Solar Eclip...
Review of the AT60ED Apochromatic Refractor Telescope: • First light with the A...
Have questions? Ask below! Be sure to check out my Astrophotography at www.Naztronomy.com!
Support my channel by buying your astro gear from Agena Astro with my affiliate link here: bit.ly/3pOhmp9
#sunsafety #Astronomy #Space #Solar #Sun #astrophotography #telescope #Eclipse #EclipseGlasses #EclipseInfo #SolarFilter #SolarEclipse #SolarEclipseFilter #DIY #solareclipseglasses #sunsafety
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[@Naztronomy]

Watch my review of 4 of the best solar eclipse glasses: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bZa2lYOFbqaqq5I

[@kadmii]

with the eclipse just days away, i finally assembled my own from materials purchased months ago. Here's hoping i don't get an overcast Monday!

[@Naztronomy]

Better late than never! Clear skies!

[@deathblosomrules]

I like the simplicity of keeping the filter flat. Thanks!

[@charlieboutin3341]

Great video with clear instructions. Thank you very much! 👍👍👌 *I hope you saw today’s total eclipse. It was cloudy in central Texas but saw the whole event through breaks in clouds. Unbelievably amazing! 🌝🌚 Best wishes!

[@Naztronomy]

Thank you! I'm glad you were able to see the eclipse! We ended up going to Vermont to beat the clouds and I was successful. I posted some pics in the "Community" section of my channel. I'll post more soon.

[@ukuleila]

thank you, this is awesome! I'm going to try it for the April eclipse

[@Naztronomy]

Thank you! And good luck! The 10" sheet at Agena is sold out. I'll update my link to point to the 8" one. The 4" sheet is still available for now. Let me know if you have questions.

[@ukuleila]

@@Naztronomy thanks, I finally made mine and tested it and it works! For me the cardboard that I used did not stay together well with just glue, so I ended up putting tape all around the edges to hold it together, and that seems to be good

[@Naztronomy]

@@ukuleila Cool! That sounds good, I've made them using just tape in the past. Wishing you clear skies during the eclipse!

[@ukuleila]

@@Naztronomy you too! ☀️

[@r.clarke9446]

Very well done Thank You! I especially liked how you showed using a glue stick to fidst attach the film to one piece of cardboard and then using the hot glue gun to attach the second piece of cardboard to complete the "sandwich".

[@Naztronomy]

Thank you 😊I've been sandwiching my solar filters since 2012!

[@WilliamW2010]

"How to make solar filter" *Two seconds later* "You will need a solar filter"

[@Boxxkarr]

Thank you! Good info!

[@photonqopt]

Thanks a lot !

[@avt_astro206]

Nice DIY Solar Film!! 👍🏻

[@AstroCrescentDIY]

Great idea 👍🏼. Thanks!

[@Naztronomy]

Thanks 😊

[@mesample1705]

You might find cutting a round hole to eliminate diffraction spikes a useful improvement. Straight edges in the light path are to be avoided. Also keeping the film flat might improve image quality. That might be achieved by gluing the film to the cardboard with the film on a flat surface and the cardboard which was cut out, placed back in the hole, on top of the film.

[@ThePocketMedic]

Make sure the filter is secure on the end of the scope so that it doesn't blow off while viewing!

[@Naztronomy]

Definitely! I have a follow up to this video planned before the next eclipse so I'll reinforce that.

[@CelticBearWoman]

Terrific, thank you. I am making one in the morning! :)

[@Naztronomy]

Awesome! Good luck 😊

[@ramonaedwards1627]

I just tried this so I will have plenty of time to practice - and it works! I don't see how to upload a photo in the comments, but I would be happy to do so if someone will tell me how that is done?

[@Naztronomy]

That's really great to hear! You can't upload images to the comments directly. What you can do is either upload it to your google drive and post the link here or you can use another image hosting service like Flickr or Imgur. You can upload there and then post the link for people to follow. Hope this helps!

[@paulimendoza4998]

Wow 🤌🏽🤌🏽🤌🏽🤌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🔥🔥🔥

[@israelpinedo2103]

Can use the filter for naked eye view thru the telescope?

[@Naztronomy]

Yep! They are safe as long as the filter is in front of the telescope and doesn't have any kind of damage. You can read the FAQs from Thousand Oaks Optical here: thousandoaksoptical.com/faqs/ I've used the filter through both my 60mm refractor and 6" SCT visually and for imaging without issues. Let me know if you have any more questions.

[@clayel1]

argh! was trying to follow this video, but realized all of the additional things around the front end of a newtonian made it very difficult i ended up spending quite a long time fitting the construction paper around the focuser and other knobs and such, and eventually got it to work

[@Naztronomy]

Glad you were able to work it out! What kind of Newtonian do you have? I have a 6" newt and I don't have anything in the way that would have blocked me so I'm curious what you have. My focuser is a good 3-4 inches from the end so I don't usually have to worry about that.

[@clayel1]

@@Naztronomy orion xt6 the focuser is probably like 3 inches away from the end of the tube, but there were other problems, mainly the secondary mirror vane knobs and my telrad mount

[@Naztronomy]

@@clayel1 Ahh yeah, I looked up the Xt6 and I understand now. My newtonian is an imaging newt so the tube extends about another 3" past the vane knobs, and then another 3-4" to the focuser. Good to know because I was supposed to help my friend with an xt8 with a solar filter, I assume he will have the same issues. Thank you!

[@clayel1]

@@Naztronomy ah ok, makes sense btw i read online that even with a sturdy support its possible that a gust of wind could come in just the right spot, so i secured mine down with 3 pieces of tape

[@Naztronomy]

@@clayel1 That's good thinking! I thought about using a large rubber band to hold it in place. I think Tape would be more secure though.

[@domchiera]

Great video! When mounting the filter does it matter if the black is towards the lens or the silver coating? Thanks

[@Naztronomy]

Thank you and Good question! Short answer is not really. I don't think you'll notice a difference, although I haven't tested this with photography, just visual but I suspect the quality, color, and contrast will be the same. Longer answer is that the manufacturers recommend that the silver coating face the sun. That helps reflect some of the sunlight and keep temperatures down a bit. I think this is especially helpful when it's hot outside. I usually make sure all of mine has the silver coating to the sun. There are some filters that are black-black polymer. Those don't matter at all.

[@domchiera]

@@Naztronomy Thank you!

[@KiloFeenix]

Where did you find such a large sheet of filter, 6in square on Amazon cost me 15 dollars

[@Naztronomy]

Check the links in the description, I've been keeping them updated. The 12" is out of stock but the 10" is still there for $24.

[@NightReaperSunDestroyerOfGods7]

“Guys how do you make a solar filter? Just buy one” 🤦‍♂️

[@jacktack77]

YOU LOOK VERY SIMILAR TO SOMEONE ELSE WITH A KZbin CHANNEL YOU SURE YOU ARE NOT A DOUBLE OR A CLONE OR PLAYING DIFFERENT CHARACTERS UNDER DIFFERENT ALTERS ??? 🤔

[@Naztronomy]

What's the other channel?

[@Bills_APCh]

Your principles are ok in construction, but I don't like the liberal use of glue. Perhaps you should use more care with measurements and cutting the lines accurately. I thought solar filters did not like finger prints! You are handing the solar filter incorrectly. These filters are very expensive so more care is needed in handling it !

[@Naztronomy]

Solar sheets don't care about finger prints. Unless you're touching it and leaving a ton of residue, handling it this way won't affect the light transmission. It's a good idea to wash your hands or use gloves if you're worried. And the point of the video is to show that this type of a setup is NOT expensive. The only care you really need to take is to not damage the actual sheet. Make sure there are no tears, holes, or creases that can allow sunlight to seep through in order to remain safe. And you can use tape if you don't like glue.

[@Bills_APCh]

@@Naztronomy Thanks Naz